Herbie Hancock II

The many photographs taken by Francis Wolff portray the golden age of jazz and the leading names of the famed Blue Note Records label. Taken in black and white, often as low angle shots, they highlight the close relationship between the photographer and the musicians ? whose personality traits and obvious energy Wolff liked to reveal. These shots forged an image of jazz and resulted from the high-level meeting of two art forms. Herbie Hancock was born in 1940 in Chicago and is one of the most influential jazz composers and pianists in the world. He was a member of the Miles Davis Quintet, a famed jazz ensemble whose rhythmic section was lauded for its innovative style. This photograph came out of the shooting session taken in a Manhattan street for the cover of his 1963 album ?Inventions And Dimensions?, which is almost entirely made up of improvised music.

Francis Wolff was born in Berlin in 1907. He met Alfred Lion when he was 15 years old and already a jazz and photography enthusiast. Their shared love for this new music cemented their friendship. In 1933, Lion emigrated to American soils. Wolf pursued a brilliant career as a photographer and collected records in spite of the Third Reichâ€™s rise to power. In 1939, he had to face facts and escape Nazi Germany. He reached New York in October. He moved into Alfred Lionâ€™s apartment. This place had also been the head office of a brand new jazz label â€˜Blue noteâ€™ for about ten months. Wolff worked retouching in a photography studio in the daytime and in the evening was devoted to managing the label. The label developed and soon Wolff devoted all his time to it. He did however take his camera to each recording session for 28 years. He therefore photographed an important part of the history of jazz and its legends.In 1951, with the advent of the LP, and the imminent importance of record covers, the photographs taken by Francis Wolff became primordial for Blue Note. In 1967, Alfred Lion retired and Wolff took over the role of producer. He had to relinquish his photography. He remained at the helm of Blue Note until his death in 1971.